This post was originally published at Conscious Magazine as part of our Project Bond column.

A silent form of child trafficking exists and not enough is being said or done about it. It is known as rehoming. According to Michele Jackson, JD, "rehoming is a non-legal term describing the practice of placing an adoptive child in another family’s home."

If you Google “rehoming,” it’s disheartening to see children alongside animals in the results. What was once a term related to finding unwanted pets a new home is now a term that is being used for children. This is due to parents across the country who are in such crisis that they feel their best option is to rehome their children—give their child to another family without any government involvement. They choose to partake in what Reuters has named, “America’s underground market."